CONWAY -- Steve Campbell began his second season as Central Arkansas' football coach Thursday and immediately noticed a difference.
"You don't have to spend as much time coaching the steps," Campbell said. "Now you can get down to the little things and start working. Last year we were close in a lot of games, and it was the little things that make the difference."
The Bears worked out for about two hours Thursday on the grass practice fields on campus as they look ahead to a season in which they'll have 22 seniors and the benefit of familiarity with Campbell's offensive scheme and that of defensive coordinator Greg Stewart.
Campbell, quarterback Taylor Reed and defensive end Jonathan Woodard agreed that improvement is expected after finishing 6-6 last season.
"We've definitely moved past it," said Woodard, a first-team All-Southland Conference selection at defensive end. "We know we're not a 6-6 team. The focus this year is just closing games and coming out strong and not falling behind early."
The Bears went 5-3 against Southland Conference opponents in Campbell's first season at the school, including a victory over Stephen F. Austin, which reached the FCS playoffs. But the Bears also lost league games to Southeastern Louisiana, Abilene Christian and Sam Houston State.
Southeastern Louisiana and Sam Houston State were both FCS playoff teams last year, and UCA was within a touchdown of each on the road with five minutes left in each game.
Even though Campbell wasn't satisfied with 6-6, he said he doesn't think the separation between the Bears and the upper echelon of one of the FCS' toughest leagues is that much.
"I would look at that and say we're that close," Campbell said. "Now we've got to get better and try to win the very first game."
Reed said he believes the Bears are off to a good start.
The senior quarterback from El Dorado completed 64.7 percent of his passes last season while throwing for 869 yards and 7 touchdowns with 2 interceptions in 8 games while battling a concussion and a foot injury. He lost wide receiver Dezmin Lewis, a seventh-round pick of the Buffalo Bills, but Courtney Whitehead, Desmond Smith and Jatavious Wilson -- who combined for 122 receptions and 12 touchdowns last year -- all return for a loaded offense.
UCA also lost leading rusher Willie Matthews, but Dominique Thomas and Blake Veasley, who combined for 674 yards and 10 touchdowns, return along with five senior offensive linemen.
"We feel like we're as good as anybody in the country," Reed said. "We just have to take it one day at a time. Today, we tried to be as best as we could be. We'll go watch film tonight and we'll do the same thing tomorrow."
The Bears expect to start five seniors on defense, including Woodard, who was the conference's defensive player of the year last season and a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award, which goes to the best defensive player in the FCS.
Woodard has a new jersey number this year -- he switched from No. 90 to No. 3 -- and added 10 pounds of muscle in an effort to better a junior season in which he had 10 sacks and 18 1/2 tackles for loss.
"I just want to be the best defensive player in the conference and in the nation," Woodard said. "If I do that, I can really play my part in helping us reach the conference championship and national championship."
It could at least help UCA surpass the six victories from last season.
"That's not what we want to be, and that's not where we're going to be," Reed said. "We understand that we were 6-6 last year, we lost some close ones, but that was last year. We're taking it as a new year and a new day."
Sports on 08/07/2015